Digestion

Digestion (Step-by-Step)

1. Mouth: Food is broken down physically (by the teeth) and chemically (by saliva), with the tongue pushing the food around and creating a "mushed-up food ball" (bolus) as this happens. When you are ready to swallow, the food, now called a bolus, travels down the oesophagus.

2. Oesophagus: This is a long tube in the throat where the food travels through to the stomach. At the back of the throat is the windpipe, where air travels to and from the body. When you swallow, this pipe closes to prevent the food from entering it.

3. Stomach: Here, the stomach breaks down food further into liquid form and empties it into the small intestine. This is done by the strong muscles of the stomach churning the food and by gastric juices. Gastric juices not only help to break down food, but kill any bacteria in the food.

4. Small Intestine: The body breaks down food even further so the body can better absorb all the nutrients in the food. The nutrients are extracted by juices secreted by the pancreas, gallbladder and liver.

5. Liver: This filters out all the harmful substances in the food and determines how much nutrients will be used by the body and how many will be stored for later use. Also, the liver turns some of the waste products in the food into bile.

6. Large intestine: All of the waste from the digested food passes through the large intestine.

7. Colon: Here, the body gets its last opportunity to absorb any water and minerals in the waste. When all the water and minerals are extracted, the waste becomes solid.

8. Rectum: After the large intestines carries the waste here, its stays until you are ready to use the bathroom.

9. Anus: The solid waste is pushed through to the outside of the body.

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Acronym for Digestion

The process of digestion can be rememberd through the acronym MOSSLLCRA (pronounced moss - ill - cra)